How to retire with $3M on a $70,000 salary

Simply contributing the current annual maximum to your Roth IRA of $6,000 from age 22 to age 67 makes a world of difference for two reasons.

First, Roth funds are shielded from future taxes: money in a Roth has already been taxed and will never be taxed again.

Next, if you choose to invest in low-cost index funds in your Roth, the account won't require any ongoing maintenance and you won't need to spend any time picking and choosing investments.

Make the annual Roth contribution a habit as early on in the calendar year as possible and make sure it happens every year.